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The INDEPENDENT, February 17, 2011
To Your Health!
By Judy Hargis, P.A
Heart Health 101
February is “Heart Month” and it is impor-
tant to remind everyone about the impor-
tance of maintaining a healthy heart. A fami-
ly history of heart disease does not equal
heart disease for you. You can reduce your
risk of heart disease by lifestyle changes that
we have discussed in previous columns.
Let’s take a closer look at the new guidelines
for heart health.
If you want to improve your heart and blood vessels, you can.
Last year the American Heart Association (AHA) took all the recom-
mendations for a healthy heart and developed a checklist called
“Life’s simple seven”. Each item on the list was based on AHA cri-
teria that define ideal cardiovascular health. This was based on a
nationwide study of 18,000 adults. This study found that adults who
adhered to at least five of the criteria had a 55% lower risk of death
over five years than those individuals who met none of the criteria.
“When you ask Americans if they are in good health, about 35%
say yes”, according to Ralph Sacco MD, president of the AHA, “but
less than 1% meet all seven criteria.”
He believes that everyone can find something to improve in
terms of his or her heart health. Let’s take a closer look at the new
guidelines for heart health.
Smoking: This is at the top of the list because AHA calls smoking
“ the most preventable cause of premature death in the United
States.” Smoking increases the risk of coronary heart disease, in
which the vessels that carry blood and oxygen to the heart are nar-
rowed due to a build up of plaque. It also decreases levels of HDL,
which is good cholesterol, and makes the blood more likely to form
dangerous clots.
Healthy weight: Weight also correlates with heart disease. Too
much fat, especially around the waist, increases the risk of high
blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Body mass index is
a measure of weight relative to height. It is a good tool to help as-
sess body fat. To calculate your BMI, multiply your weight (in
pounds) by 703 and divide that number by your height (in inches).
The AHA recommends a BMI below 25.
Exercise: Exercise helps us lose and maintain a healthy weight.
It also reduces blood pressure, increases HDL (good cholesterol,
and improves the body’s sensitivity to insulin, which helps control
blood sugar. AHA guidelines recommend 150 minutes of moderate
exercise per week or vigorous exercise at least 75 minutes per
week.
Healthy eating: The guidelines advise eating at least 4-1/2 cups
of fruits and vegetables per day, at least 3 ounces of whole grains
per day, at least two servings of fish each week, less than 1500 mil-
ligrams of sodium per day and no more than 450 calories worth of
sugar-sweetened beverages in a week. To meet the heart healthy
ideal, you need to follow at least
four of these five rules. Studies
have shown that diets high in
fruits and vegetables can re-
duce high blood pressure and
other risk factors for heart dis-
ease. There is also evidence
that whole grains can reduce
LDL (bad cholesterol). Lowering
sodium intake to 1500 mil-
ligrams can lower both systolic
blood pressure (top number)
and diastolic blood pressure
(lower number) in people with
high blood pressure. Dozens of
studies support this finding.
Watch your numbers: three
503-901-1705
important measures that in-
crease your risk for heart disease make up the last three criteria on
the checklist. They include blood pressure, blood glucose and blood
cholesterol. Everyone should know these numbers. Studies have
shown that people who keep these numbers in a healthy range re-
duced their risk of death from cardiovascular disease over 16 to 22
years by 70% to 85% compared with people with at least one meas-
ure in the high-risk range. Blood pressure should be maintained be-
low 120/80, fasting blood glucose should be below 100 and total
cholesterol should be below 200 mg/dl. HDL cholesterol should be
below 100 and LDL cholesterol numbers should be above 40. Both
are very important.
82,000,000 people in the United States have some form of heart
disease. That is one in three people. 2200 people die from heart
disease every day. Heart disease is the number one cause of death
for women 20-years old and over. It kills more women than the next
four causes combined, including all forms of cancer. It is good news
to know that we can greatly reduce our risk of premature death from
heart disease. Our genetic make-up may predispose us to heart
disease but we can greatly reduce our risk by eliminating the trig-
gers that turn those genes on. It is important to take good care of
your heart health and know the signs of heart attack.
The signs of a heart attack include: Pain in the center of the chest
that feels like pressure, squeezing, pressure or fullness. Pain that
radiates to one or both arms, the neck, back, jaw or stomach. Feel-
ing short of breath with or without chest pain. Also, breaking out in
a cold sweat, nausea or feeling lightheaded. Both men and women
can experience these symptoms but women sometimes experience
symptoms such as nausea, breaking out in a cold sweat, weakness
and/or nausea without chest pain.
If you experience any of these symptoms call 911 immediately.
Do not drive yourself to the hospital. Wait for the paramedics. It can
make the difference in your survival.
Next month I will provide information about polycystic ovarian
syndrome and, in April, I will give an update on immunizations
As always, we appreciate your questions and comments. You
can contact us at health@the–independent.net.
Columbia County
Mental Health
800-294-5211
-----------------
Suicide Hotline
1-800-
784-2433
or
1-800-273-
TALK(8255)
Domestic Abuse
Hotline
503-397-6161
or
866-397-6161
-----------------
Military Helpline
888-HLP-4-VET
(888-457-4838)
Tips for healthy
recipes given
People often wonder about
recipes that are appropriate for
health conditions like heart dis-
ease, high cholesterol and dia-
betes. Although there are
cookbooks that are marketed
to people with these condi-
tions, sometimes a little alter-
ation of a recipe you already
have is enough to make it suit-
able for someone with a spe-
cial diet. The bonus is that it
makes it a healthier choice for
everyone eating.
To make a recipe healthier,
you can lower the fat, increase
the fiber, decrease the sodium
or cholesterol, or lower the
sugar. To alter a recipe, you
can do one of three things:
omit an ingredient, decrease or
increase the amount of an in-
gredient, or substitute a more
nutritious ingredient.
For example, in many baked
goods:
• Salt can be reduced or
eliminated. Other seasonings,
like basil, cardamom, thyme or
cayenne pepper can replace
salt as a flavoring (depending
on the recipe). Another option
is to use fruit, its juice or the
rind (e.g., a lemon or lime) to
bring out the flavor of fish with-
out using salt.
• You can also reduce the
amount of sugar or fat by using
the next lowest common meas-
urement. So if the recipe calls
for 1 cup of sugar, use 3/4 cups
instead. If it calls for 1/3 cup
honey, try 1/4 cup.
• Applesauce or yogurt can
often be used to replace up to
an equal amount of fat in a
recipe.
No matter what kind of alter-
ation you’ve made, it’s wise to
try a small batch of the new
recipe before you serve it to
others. It’s also important to
make small adjustments until
you go too far – then back up
one small step to a product that
still tastes good but is healthier
than the original. Keep in mind
that altering recipes is all about
experimentation and you can
try it for anything you cook.
When you create healthier al-
ternatives for everyday fa-
vorites, the health benefits add
up over time.
Source: Janet Hackert, regional
nutrition & health eduction special-
ist, University of Missouri Exten-
sion